7 reasons why healthcare professionals should achieve certification

Posted on by Joseph Gerard

CERTIFICATION CONCEPTWritten By Miranda Booher

Hypnosis. Legal case management. Grief counseling. Stress management. Meditation. Spiritual counseling. There are many different areas of specialization when it comes to the vast realms of the healthcare industry.

Some allied health professional jobs require specific certification and others do not. However, if you happen to work in one of those positions that do not require specialized certification, do you really need it? 

You are the only one who can make that decision for your career, but we are going to present you seven reasons why healthcare clinicians should achieve certification.

1. Gain advanced knowledge and skills in a healthcare sub-specialty

Physicians, nurses, and other allied healthcare professionals often get into the field because they have a passion or interest in a certain field of healthcare. Perhaps you are a nurse who has always been interested in the area of spirituality. Even if you are not currently practicing as a nurse in this field, you can increase your knowledge and skills to learn more just for curiosity’s sake, or to set yourself up for an opportunity to work in that specialty in the future. 

2.  Healthcare employers require certification more frequently

Healthcare facilities’, hospitals’, and other companies’ policies about continuing education requirements are constantly evolving. Some employers who never required a certification for their employees in the past have changed their practices and now make certification mandatory for a variety of reasons. Furthermore, there can also be laws made at the state level meant to keep the public safe that require allied health professionals to obtain and hold certain credentials. 

3. Advance or expand your healthcare practice

Maybe you are a physician who wants to expand your current general practice roster of patients. Perhaps you want to offer specialized services to a certain segment of the population. Certification opens up doors as a healthcare provider to expand your practice and services to meet a wider range of patients and treat specific conditions and ailments. 

4. Gain a competitive edge and increase your marketability

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons healthcare professionals obtain a certification is to increase their employability and gain a competitive edge in the industry. Having the certification itself does not guarantee job placement, however it can definitely give you an advantage when you apply for a job in the medical industry. Even if the particular job you are applying for does not require certification, having one related to the healthcare sub-specialty, i.e. intensive care unit (ICU), geriatrics, etc., shows your dedication and demonstrates your level of expertise.

5. Be viewed as a credentialed expert in your practice specialty

Certification in a certain area exerts yourself as an expert in the field. When you are nationally-recognized for the attainment of knowledge and skills by meeting specific predetermined criteria, it demonstrates your competency as an allied healthcare professional. This recognition may help you personally or professionally, it just depends on whether it means something to you to be viewed as an expert, or if you plan on taking that position to advance your healthcare career. It can also be a combination of both. You might also use this recognition to become a part of a professional group or network with other certified healthcare specialists that practice in your specialty.

6. Show employers you stay up-to-date

By its intrinsic nature, the medical field is an industry that is constantly changing. In fact, all of the changes that have been ushered in since the beginning of this pandemic are testament to this very fact. In order to stay on your toes, it’s important to keep up with all the changes the best you possibly can. Healthcare certification is the perfect way to do just that. Most certifications not only require the base of knowledge and skills to obtain the credential, but they also include a certain number of continuing education hours annually in order to renew it. This demonstrates to employers that you are a healthcare professional who cares about continuing education and keeping up with the best practices in the industry. If you were the employer, would you not prefer to hire someone who has proven expertise in the field?

7. It speaks to who you are as a clinician

Certification in healthcare is so much more than a piece of paper. It demonstrates who you are as a person and an allied healthcare professional. It shows that you are committed to the practice, your career, and to providing the very best patient care possible. Employers look for those qualities when they are considering hiring anyone in the healthcare industry. 

Want to learn more about healthcare certification?

The American Institute of Healthcare Professionals is committed to providing opportunities for clinicians to expand their skills and knowledge base to advance their career in healthcare. You can learn more about each of the different types of certifications they provide by clicking on one of the links below. 

 

Meditation Instructor Program Article on Meditation and Difficult Times

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Difficult times can bring out the best or worst.  Grief and loss can make it difficult to focus and handle situations.  Meditation and focus can help one find centering during difficult times and help one be able to do what is needed during those times.

Meditation can help one find focus and centering during difficult times. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see it meets your academic and professional goals.

 

The article, “A Practical Approach To Being Grateful And Mindful During Difficult Times” by Rob Dube looks at how meditation and mindfulness can help one during stormy times in one’s life.  He states,

“Mindfulness is a great skill for anyone who wants to create a better impact in business, and in our everyday lives. However, it also shows up when times get tough—and this proved especially true when Julianna was grieving the death of her parents.  Mindfulness didn’t make the pain of their passing vanish, but her practice built her an internal support system. It even helped Julianna find genuine gratitude during an unbelievably trying time.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see how it can help you utilize meditation but also train others in this key skill.

 

Pastoral Thanatology Certification Article on the Dying and Hope

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Dying is part of life.  Dying is not a failure but a pivotal part of human experience.  No-one truly knows what is like to die but individuals can learn how to face it.  Elisabeth Kubler Ross and David Kessler wrote extensively on death and the needs of the dying.  They discussed vital aspects in how to counsel and listen to the dying.

One of the biggest things they emphasized was to treat the dying as if they are still alive.  To many times, the dying are seen merely as an old shell of what they once were.  The dying are defined by their disease, not who they were.  The term my “dying grandfather” is applied instead of my “grandfather who is dying”.  Dying is not the essential quality of the person.  The essence of the person remains.

Treating the dying as living human beings is the first key in Pastoral Thanatology

 

When listening to the needs of the dying, one needs to see the full humanness of the person.  They need to see the light within the person’s eyes, not the disease, the machines keeping the person alive, or the crippled body.  The person still exists.

It is essential to treat the dying with dignity and respect.  They deserve to be spoken to about their condition.  They deserve to be involved in the decisions, if conscious.  They deserve to be recognized.  This is family should not shun the conversation of death, or hide their conversations outside the hospital room.  The dying need to be treated as living.

The dignity of the dying is critical to maintain as a living person.   They need to be listened to, spoken to, and not treated as if they already dead.  Hope should never be denied.  Hope is a key element.  While some may remained to the reality of approaching death, hope can continue to fuel the dying.  Since they are alive, hope is still always alive.  To die with hope is not a bad thing.

Dreams of a cure, or a miracle are not bad things.  Too many times, doctors and healthcare professionals see death as defeat and not part of life.  Once the disease progresses to a certain point, they no longer view the person as alive.  They sometimes dismiss hope because of their own defeat.  Death, however, is not defeat.  Death is natural and is as part of life as birth.  Hope for life even during terminal illness does not mean one is in denial of his or her condition but that one is alive and ready to face any challenge, even to the very last breath.   This is the essence of the human spirit and the true meaning of being alive.

Never deny hope to the dying. Hope and dignity are essential to the dying process. Miracles may or may not happen, but noone should be denied hope. Please also review our Pastoral Thanatology Certification

 

One cannot label the dying as dead but treat them as alive.  One must see in the dying, the face of a man or woman in her prime, not defined by old age or disease.  Whether one believes in miracles or does not, whether one is spiritual or not, one cannot dismiss hope if they work with the dying.   Hope is a powerful thing.  Whether it prolongs life or does not, it definitely does not hurt the person.  If the hope is well rounded in reason but yet optimistic, one can live while they are yet dying.

One cannot dismiss the final time of death as wasteful or useless.  There is always a reason.  More time to learn, or teach others.   Family may come closer, or learn new things during the dying process.  Maybe the dying wishes to see one last person.

It is important to grant hope but also to discuss death, to let the dying know they are still a complete person.  They can accept death with dignity as well as fight for every breath, or they may succumb to death with the love of others surrounding them.   Only if the person is given the dignity they deserve while dying is there a true possibility for a happy death.

Dignity and hope are key elements of living the fullness of death.  It may seem contradictory to say living the process of death but that is what it truly is.  When we view the dying as already dead, there is no true process, no true experience of this ultimate event.  Death is part of life and hope and dignity are essential elements of “living” a “healthy” death.

I recommend reading the classics of Kubler Ross, as well as David Kessler’s works on the matter.  Their insight, experience and analysis of death are essential to anyone working in the field of hospice, pastoral thanatology or grief counseling.

If you would like to learn more about death and dying, or would like to become certified in Pastoral Thanatology, then please review AIHCP’s Pastoral Thanatology Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.

 

Anger Management Certification Article on Anger Control

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Anger can ruin lives.  While it is only a natural emotion, if it is not controlled or managed, then physical harm can occur.  It is very important if one has an anger issue to work on controlling anger.

How we control our anger and rage will determine overall health as well as safety for others. Please also review AIHCP’s Anger Management Certification

 

The article, “Managing Anger Issues: Don’t let anger ruin your relationship” by Marie Miguel looks at how anger can be better managed and controlled.  She states,

“Everyone gets angry. It is a normal and healthy emotion that happens to us from infancy to old age. According to the American Psychological Association, or APA, anger is an emotional state that can vary in its intensity from mild irritation to extremely intense rage and fury.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Learning anger management techniques are essential for those who cannot control their anger.  Even at a lower level, anger can be unhealthy for blood pressure.  So it is important to learn to manage frustration and anger for health as well as protecting others from unintended harm.  Please also review AIHCP’s Anger Management Certification and see if it meets your personal and professional academic goals.

 

Stress Management Consulting Certification Article on Type A Stress Job Outline

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

The workplace itself is a great source of stress.  The workplace has the ability to turn Type B personalities into Type A personalities.  Workplaces that are more competitive, stressful, intensely quota oriented, and with poor management, can lead to high level of stress and stress related deaths.

Workplace stress is a big killer among many Americans.

 

Some workplaces are far more peaceful but work itself must have some level of stress.  It is essential to have goals and meet certain standards, but without moderation, stress and anxiety can emerge.  It is important to be balanced but unfortunately, it is difficult to find the perfect career that is balanced.  In some cases, they can be found, but ultimately, many deal with some types of stress in the workplace.  Whether its the workload, dissatisfaction, management, or inter personal relations, stress can quickly overload into family and personal life.

Type A workplace environments are best listed with these qualities.  First, tasks are either extremely overloading or not enough.  Second, goals are unclear or even unrealistic to achieve.  Third, one’s career can be blocked towards future advancement or self fulfillment.  Finally, the hierarchy or management may seem unresponsive in meeting the needs of employees. (1)   A Type B workplace on other hand has clear priorities and no worker ambiguity.  Goals are clear and one’s career can develop and advance.  Finally, management is responsive to needs of employees.

Work overload is one of the biggest issues of stress.  It has the potential to kill yet individuals with this type of “battle fatigue” slug forward without noticing the mental and physical tear.  These individuals work longer than 40 hours a week, bring work home with them, and find little time for relaxation.

Work overload is a key issue in many type A careers. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program

 

Goals are also a source of stress.  Sometimes in workplaces, goals are so far fetched or unclear that they are impossible to meet.  The goals may be unable to be met due to lack of proper training, or due to lack of time.  It is important to reduce stress that management defines objectives in a clear way and enables their team to meet those objectives with proper training or appropriate time.

Careers without meaning can also become a source of stress.  While everyone at some point has worked a meaningless job from time to time, no greater stress can be found when one works a meaningless job for a long period of time with no end in sight.    A person’s career or lack of career can become a huge source of anxiety and stress.  As one hits middle age, one looks to see where they are going and where they have been.  When one does not meet his or her expectations, then stress can set it.

One needs to identify dead end jobs or careers and see how change can be implemented.  Is the dead-end due to to the organization itself? Is it due to one’s lack of involvement within the organization?  Essentially, what is the source of one’s lack of advancement.  Is it the employee or the company?  Furthermore, one can look outside of the company to meet needs through hobbies, as well as volunteer programs or education.

Unrealistic goals without the proper amount of time or training can be a great source of stress for employees. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Certification

 

How management responds to the needs of their employees is also key.  Some management teams and organizations are bureaucratic and apply rules and regulations over common sense and oral discussion.  These types of organizations become more impersonal. This creates a divide between the company and employee.

When employees cannot control part of their job or have a reasonable understanding of what to expect, it can negatively affect morale and work performances.  Unresponsive, impersonal and ambiguous management can cause unneeded stress on a workforce and affect output.

Stress Management Consultants are utilized to address these organizational issues for many firms and companies.  Companies in the 21st century are finally realizing that stress not only kills employees and costs them millions of dollars annually on disability, but that it also affects morale and output.  Output can be increased by creating a more Style B company plan. It is essential that employees are treated with dignity and respect.  Not all employees are good people but if companies reduce stress, the reward of output from most employees will outweigh any negatives.

Companies can work within their Human Resource Department and implement various stress management policies to help reduce discontent and increase mental well being.  This in turn can increase output and save cost.  Companies can hire experts in stress management or have their own HR department become certified in stress management techniques that can be utilized in the workplace and also applied to company goals and standards.

Companies need to help employees succeed with better stress management in mind. Stress kills output and companies should seek to limit stress as much as possible for their employees

 

If you would like to learn more about stress management or would like to become certified through AIHCP in Stress Management Consulting, then please review the program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.

  1. The Stress Management Sourcebook by J Barton Cunningham (PhD)

Healthcare Life Coach Certification Article on Exercise and Recovery

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Many athletes and individuals who work out do not spend enough time in recovery.  Granting the body rest and refueling it for future work outs are key to productive muscle build and overall health.  It is imperative to allow the body the time it needs to heal and recover.

Recovery is an important part of the cycle of exercise. Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Life Coaching Certification

 

The article, “Why recovery is the key to effective exercise: How to reboot your workout routine” by Barbara Santas looks at the importance of recovery to the body as a critical part of the workout cycle.  She states,

“The reality is that exercise hurts our bodies. And recovery heals them. When we work out, we push our bodies to the point of cellular breakdown with the intention of building them back up stronger and more efficient. With every strenuous bike ride, weight training session or bout of high-intensity interval training, we give rise to this process.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review the Healthcare Life Coach Certification program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.

 

ADHD Consulting Program Article on Adults with ADHD

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Symptoms for ADHD are universal but they exhibit themselves differently in adults than in children.  These symptoms can affect adult relationships, finances and work progress.  It is important to identify ADHD within adults to help them understand why their life is a certain way.

Adults need to learn to cope with ADHD to ensure successful relationships and careers. Please also review AIHCP’s ADHD Consulting Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals

 

The article, “Need Motivation to Cope With Adult ADHD?” by Dr Russell Ramsay looks at how to deal with the issues of ADHD in adulthood.  He states,

“Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a uniquely frustrating condition to manage. Adults with ADHD struggle with various day-to-day tasks tied to work, school, at-home chores and errands, and even getting out the door in the morning, that most people navigate with only trifling bother.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Adults with ADHD can live very productive lives but they need to know how to cope and deal with it.  Please also review AICHP’s ADHD Consulting Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and can grant certification to qualified professionals.

 

ADHD Consulting Certification Article on ADHD Signs

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

ADHD affects many children in the USA.  Parents may not even know their child has ADHD.  If a certain number of multiple symptoms exist, then a child can be diagnosed with ADHD.

There are numerous signs if your child has ADHD. Please also review AIHCP’s ADHD Consulting Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.

 

The article, “14 Signs of ADHD: Does Your Child Have ADHD?” by Dr. Karthik Kumar looks at the multiple signs parents can look for in regards to if their child has ADHD.  He states,

“Usually, children have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. However, children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not just grow out of these behaviors. The symptoms continue, can be severe, and can cause difficulty at school, at home, or with friends. Below are a few common signs and symptoms of ADHD:”

It is important for parents to be alert and aware for symptoms.  To review the entire article, please click here

AIHCP’s ADHD Consulting Program can also help parents, as well as counselors identify ADHD symptoms.  It is designed for counselors and non counselors alike who meet proper requirements to achieve certification.  If you would like to learn more then please review the ADHD Consulting Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.

 

Stress Management Consulting Article on Personality A and Stress Characteristics

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Stress greatly depends on one’s personality.  Personality plays a key role in how we interpret stressors and how we react to stresses.  Certain characteristics and personalities are more conducive to stress and its ill effects.

Personality A is a type of personality that is more proactive, hyperaggressive, easily frustrated, impatient and assertive.  One can vary within it.  One can be on the higher end or the lower end of it.  The important reality is that one identifies it as a higher stress prone personality and how one responds to these more natural impulses.

Personality A in work or home life is very consumed and competitive in life.  The personality wants to accomplish as much as possible with limited time.  It has a difficult time enjoying accomplishments, but judges them and looks for more.  It finds little time to relax the mind.   It finds competition with others and expects more out of others.  Due to this, is is also prone to quicker frustration, as well as less patience in its everyday dealings.

Personality A is very hyper goal orientated but with balance it can help one be very productive. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Certification

 

Stemming from this also is a perfectionism that goes beyond doing a good job but looks for impossible levels that cannot be reached.  Due to this, many with Type A Personality are all in and when something goes wrong, they can binge to the opposite extreme.  It also pushes one to overtly dependent on self with little trust upon others.  Internal and external balance for achievement is in flux.

Believe it or not, this may look confident from the outside, but in fact, most Personality A also have low self-esteem.  They need external approval and measure success by completed goals and achievements instead of one’s self.

Many individuals are Type A personality or share in the competitive and sometimes aggressive spirit.  They have impatience and easy frustration and may exhibit lower self esteem deep down, but many are able to identify these impulses and alter them.  They can use the impulses, much like OCD, or even ADHD, and utilize them for the good they create but not allow it to dominate them.  Of course, the more severe the trait, the harder it is to be more relaxed, easier going, but balance is always the key.

Spirituality, a moral compass, and a objective conviction can also ground a personality driven by A.  It can lessen the necessity of materialism and help one focus on the family and the soul.

Noone fits completely in one type of group. One may possess certain characteristics and not others within a personality trait but if one possesses enough traits and feels enough of the trait’s impulses, then one should be aware of it and know what it entails.  In knowing this, one can better cope with one’s natural inclinations and live a more balanced and spiritual life.

Managing stress and having good health is essential to managing a Type Personality A.  One can utilize the good drives that come from it but also manage the excess that can be found it.  Balance is key.

If you would like to learn more about Stress Management Consulting, then please review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.

 

ADHD Consulting Certification Article on ADHD and New School Year in 2020

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

The pandemic has caused havoc in many life styles and routines.  Going back to school is no different.  The debate when or if to open schools have left many Americans in doubt.  Some areas opened, while others did not and the areas that did open had new guidelines.

Back to school may be a difficult time in 2020 for ADHD children with all the issues of the pandemic. Please also review AIHCP’s ADHD Consulting Certification

 

ADHD can make everything more complicated.  Parents helping prepare children with ADHD for school definitely will face harder adjustments. Whether at doing home schooling or helping the child adjust in school itself, it will be a challenge.

The article, “How to Help Your Child With ADHD Start the School Year — Whatever It Looks Like — with Confidence” by Ashleigh Morley looks at how to help your child prepare your child.  She states,

“With so many unknowns surrounding the coming school year, one of the important, foundational things that Dr. Theresa Cerulli, a neuropsychiatrist specializing in treating children and adults with ADHD, says parents can do to give their kids confidence and prepare them for the year ahead is to keep them involved with the planning. “With ADHD, structure needs to be your best friend,” Dr. Cerulli tells SheKnows.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review AICHP’s ADHD Consulting Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals